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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bulb — for light
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — a thing
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — to recline
  14. object — an aim
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com